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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. ground — crushed
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — the animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. ground — the earth
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. ground — a position
  24. pitch — a sports field

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com